First-Instance Verdict for Prosecutor-General Huang Shih-ming ~ JRF Statement

In response to the first-instance guilty verdict and subsequent resignation of Prosecutor-General Huang Shih-ming, the Foundation issues the following statement:

1. Prosecutors must strictly uphold "due process" in handling cases:

1. Prosecutor-General Huang Shih-ming exceeded constitutional boundaries, undermined the external independence of prosecutors, violated the principle of non-publicity of investigations, and committed the crime of leaking confidential information. The evidence was clear, and he had long been unfit for the position of Prosecutor-General. Now that the first-instance court has delivered a guilty verdict and Huang has immediately resigned, whether he leaves office is no longer the main point; rather, we hope the public will pay greater attention to the reform of the prosecutor system (as detailed in point 2).
2. Strictly uphold "due process": As demonstrated by this case, regardless of a prosecutor's underlying motive or how strong their desire to root out corruption and evil may be, they must first strictly adhere to the requirements of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Once legal procedures are violated, not only will all their painstaking efforts be in vain, but they will also face a backlash.

2. Regarding the reform of the prosecutor system, the Foundation proposes recommendations in five directions:

1. Abolish the Special Investigation Division
2. Eradicate malicious prosecutions (and malicious non-prosecutions), and establish a prosecutor system that integrates investigation with public prosecution and aligns power with responsibility
3. Implement written directives to make the "monistic prosecution" system transparent
4. Establish a sound personnel mechanism for selecting the best and weeding out the incompetent
5. Enact the Organic Act of the Prosecutors Offices and the Prosecutors Act